Ingredients
Scallops
1 pound scallops
4 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
Cherry tomatoes
Butter
Fresh-picked herbs, such as basil, mint, fennel, dill, or chives
Annatto Oil
1/2 cup neutral oil
4 tablespoons round annatto seed
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
Fermented Corn
2 ears corn, shucked
Salt
Cantaloupe Curry
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 ripe cantaloupe
2 pieces fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 large shallots
1 Jimmy Nardello pepper
1 Fresno pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro stems
1/2 bunch Thai basil stems
2 tablespoons yellow curry paste
1 tablespoon vadouvan curry powder (or regular curry powder)
6 fresh Thai lime leaves
2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
Directions
Annatto Oil
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Heat over medium-high heat to just below boiling and hold for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and reserve.
Fermented Corn
(For safe fermentation, using a kitchen scale is highly recommended to get the correct salinity.)
1. Clean the corn and cut the kernels away from the cob.
2. In a bowl, take the back side of a knife and scrape the cleaned cob downward to get the corn “milk.” Combine the corn milk with the cleaned kernels.
3. Weigh the corn mixture in grams. Multiply the total weight by 3% to get the amount of salt needed.
4. Mix the salt into the corn.
5. Place the mixture in a bag and remove all the air by vacuum sealing.
6. Keep the bag in a warm, dark place for 3 days. After 3 days, remove the corn from the bag and strain out the excess liquid, reserving for later use.
Cantaloupe Curry
1. Clean the cantaloupe of all the rind, seeds, and bruised areas. Dice into medium cubes and set aside.
2. With the back of a knife, bruise the lemongrass and then roughly chop.
3. Dice the ginger, shallots, and peppers and roughly chop the herb stems.
4. In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat, then add in the shallots, ginger, peppers, and lemongrass. Sauté until aromatic, a few minutes.
5. Add in the curry paste and curry powder. Sauté to toast over medium heat, then add in the cantaloupe, lime leaves, and chopped herb stems.
6. Cook over low heat until the melon starts to break down and RESTAURANT LISTINGS 10.25 releases a good amount of liquid. Once the melon has softened, add in the coconut milk.
7. Simmer over low heat until slightly reduced, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
8. After simmering for 45 minutes, remove from the heat and transfer to a blender. Add in the lime zest, lime juice, and salt.
9. Turn the blender on, and while running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum.
10. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and strain into a bowl sitting in an ice bath to cool the sauce quickly.
Scallops
1. Mix together the salt and water to create a brine. Add in the scallops and brine for 1 hour. After, remove the scallops from the brine and lay out on a sheet tray lined with a clean towel. Let dry in the refrigerator for 1 hour, uncovered.
2. Blister cherry tomatoes with a kitchen torch or under the broiler to lightly char the skin.
3. Heat a pan over high heat. Add in a generous amount of butter and sear the scallops for 2 minutes per side.
4. To assemble the dish, spread cantaloupe curry on a plate. Place the seared scallops on top and surround each with small piles of the blistered cherry tomatoes and fermented corn. Top with fresh-picked herbs such as basil, mint, fennel, dill, or chives. Drizzle with a small amount of annatto oil and serve.
This story originally appeared in the October 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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